Device Index telemedicine

Cisco, Dell, Google, Microsoft and IBM all grabbed headlines this week with news of telehealth deals designed to streamline online access to medical records.

Mobile health care is poised to be one of the next big trends in mobile computing, as evidenced by Verizon's new telehealth division. Plus, analysts check the vital stats -- security and costs --related to telemedicine deployment.

The iPad, with its large display screen and support for iPhone apps, will be a healthy contender for the telehealth vertical.